Of all the sources of inspiration that help us create our recipes, I would say that our childhood memories are probably number one on the list.

And although most of them are food related, there is one in particular that is very special to us: it’s the memory of our dad sitting on the couch, watching soccer, eating pistachio nuts, enjoying a glass of Arack, a Middle Eastern, super strong, anise flavored spirit. He would mix it with ice and water (which made this clear liqueur turn white almost milky looking) and drink it slowly, enjoying every sip.

So whenever we know he’ll be coming to visit, we make sure to have a bottle of Arack handy for him to enjoy. But this time, we thought we would surprise him with an Arack inspired cocktail. And we really had to get creative here because, as I’m sure we’ve mentioned before, when it comes to food and drink, our dad is a purist.

We did some research online to try to get some ideas and although we did find really cool and unusual cocktails and drinks, we didn’t find too may that used Arack. So we thought it would be best to just keep it simple: combine some of his favorite fruits, like citrus and pomegranate, sweeten it up a little bit, and that’s it!

Well, mission accomplished. We made it for him today, and he really enjoyed it. Which means, it’s good enough to share with you 🙂

This is the beginning of a very exciting week for us. In about 24 hours, we’ll be on our way to the airport to pick up our parents! They will be staying with us for 3 weeks, which means, once again, we’ll be able to watch our mom work her magic in the kitchen. We already “warned” her that she wasn’t coming here on a vacation… she’s coming here to work! And she didn’t seem to mind at all. Actually, she was really excited to have a chance to be “on the internet” again. She was also really excited about joining us at our Healthy Eating Cooking Class Series we’ll be starting at The American Table next week. “I’ll be your sous-chef, she said. You gotta love it…

So to get this week started, here’s a dish that sort of reminds us of her. It’s our own version of her the roasted cauliflower she used to make when we were kids. She would serve it with “Mjadra” (rice and lentils) which goes really well with our version too. A complete, balanced meal for your Meatless Monday.

Have you ever noticed how some people cringe when they hear certain food related words? Like “gluten free”, or “vegan” or “dairy free”… As if those words automatically meant tasteless and just plain gross.

Especially when doing nutritional counseling, that’s something that happens to me way too often. If I had a penny for every time I’ve gotten an eye roll or a look of disgust when I mention tofu or gluten free cake, I’d be a millionaire by now.

Interestingly enough, when those same people try these foods without knowing what they are, they love it.

Funny how we let our preconceived ideas dictate our choices, uh?

Take this gluten free bread pudding for example. If I didn’t tell you, there is no way you would be able to tell it’s gluten free. And unless you were a cheese connoisseur, in my opinion, you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s dairy free either.

Granted, to achieve that, you need to use high quality products and reliable brands, which we do of course… But thankfully, that’s an easy task since they’re available pretty much everywhere nowadays.

So go ahead, gather some of your pickiest and skeptical friends and give it a try. I’d love to hear their thoughts 🙂

I love one pot meals. They’re easy, they’re quick to prepare and they’re usually large enough to last you several days.

And for me, the ultimate one pot meal, is soup. You can literally throw anything in and make it super hearty, filling and balanced. And it’s a great way to get your daily serving of veggies too!

I remember this little Middle Eastern restaurant we used to go to when I first moved here, that served this amazing vegetable and bean soup. Bursting with flavor, hearty… just delicious. And it’s really funny because growing up, most of my friends were of Moroccan origin, and I got to taste a lot of their food, but I don’t remember ever having this soup.

The traditional “Harira” soup is typically made with some kind of meat product and doesn’t include many vegetables. So, of course, we decided to create our own vegan version, adding some extra veggies and a hint of heat, just to spice it up a little bit.

And loved it so much that it’s now one of my favorite “one pot meal soups”, ever.

Alright people. It’s January. How many of you are already working on your New Year’s resolutions? To lose weight. To eat healthier. To start exercising again. To quit smoking. To start saving more.

How many of these do we actually manage to keep long term? Probably not too many. And I have my own theory about why this happens: these resolutions we make, they don’t really matter. I mean REALLY matter. They look good. They sound good. But at the end of the day, they don’t really fulfill us. They don’t really “change” us or improve the essence of who we are.

So this year, I’ve decided to change my focus a little bit. I’m determined to work on what really matters and make these the best resolutions yet. And do my best to follow through.

I hope they inspire you as well.

Happy New Year,

Ruth

“Promise Yourself:

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to everyone you meet.

To make everyone you know feel that there is something good in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble in your mind” – Christian D. Larson

Growing up, New Year’s Eve was the night I used to look forward to, more than any other night of the year. To me, it always meant two things: one, I got to stay up really, really late; and two, it was always, always fun, no matter what.

And the funny thing is, I spent most of them at home. No expensive prix fix dinners, no fancy parties. None of that.

As a kid, I remember doing the same thing every year: our parents would go out to a fancy party and stay out all night. I would sleep over my cousin’s house and spend the night playing and watching the New Year’s comedy show special on TV (sort of like SNL, Spanish style). And then, at midnight, “Las Doce Campanadas”.

“Las doce campanadas” is a Spanish tradition where we eat 12 grapes when the clock strikes 12 at the turn of the year. One grape for each bell sound. And instead of watching the ball drop in Time’s Square, in Spain we watch a big clock in Madrid’s “Puerta del Sol”.

Everyone (and I mean everyone) follows this tradition. Every single TV station does a live broadcast, so people can eat the grapes at the same time. It’s so much fun. And the best part of all, trying not to laugh while eating 12 grapes in 12 seconds and watching everyone else do the same.

I miss that so much.

I still remember the first New Year’s eve I spent here in the US. I was visiting Vicky and we were invited to a wedding. We tried to recreate “Las Doce Campanadas” with blueberries instead of grapes and the ball dropping instead of the bell sounds. I remember people looking at us wondering what the heck we were doing. And some even joined us!

Now, every time we host a New Year’s eve party, we try to share the tradition with our friends. I still don’t think they “get it” all the way, but it’s always makes us laugh. And that’s what really matters, isn’t it?

Happy 2013 everyone!

Enjoy!

Ruth

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (makes 24 cups):

To make the wonton cups:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

24 round wonton wrappers

Preheat the oven to 375F

Brush both sides of each wonton wrapper with extra virgin olive oil. Carefully place them in a mini muffin tin pan, pressing gently in the center to form a cup

Bake at 375F for 7-10 minutes, until golden brown (check often to make sure they don’t burn). Set aside to cool

To make the tofu:

1-16oz pack extra firm tofu, diced*

2 tbs veg oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1tsp fresh grated ginger

1/4 tsp powdered ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

*Tip: For a firmer consistency, freeze tofu after buying it. Thaw and squeeze as much water out of it as possible before using

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

In a large bowl, combine diced tofu with oil, soy sauce, ginger and spices. Toss well

Transfer tofu to baking sheet and bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool

*Note: You can find green papaya at Asian Markets and some specialty stores

In a large bowl, combine shredded carrots, shredded green papaya and chopped cilantro

To prepare the dressing, whisk together coconut-peanut spread, rice vinegar, soy sauce, vegan worcestershire sauce, chili sauce and orange juice until well combined. Pour over salad, mix ell and refrigerate until ready to use

Assemble the cups right before serving: fill each cup with papaya salad, add a piece of tofu, and garnish with roasted peanuts and black sesame seeds

When life give you lemons, make lemonade. When Chobani sends you Greek Yogurt, make dessert!

If there is one thing we’ve learned over the years and really enjoy doing, is what we call recipe “makeovers”: basically what that means is, we take a recipe and modify it to make it suitable for people with certain dietary restrictions. We make it vegan, or kosher, or dairy free, or we lightened it up… You get the idea.

That’s an area where we can really put our creativity to use and have lots of fun experimenting. Even when the results aren’t what we expected, we still get a laugh out of it. And that’s one of the greatest things about having a team mate in the kitchen: you can laugh and learn from your “failures” rather than getting upset and frustrated!

So here’s one of the easiest dessert makeovers you’ll probably ever find: a lighter version of the classic Italian Tiramisu. Not overly sweet, creamy (thank you greek yogurt!) and without raw eggs. With a hint of chocolate and, of course, a nice coffee presence. Presented in little shot glasses to make it elegant and perfect for entertaining… but also for portion control.

You know, just in case you’re already thinking about New Year’s resolutions 🙂

If you’re hosting a Holiday party and need some gluten free ideas to accommodate some of your guests, check this out.

How about a healthier version of chips and dip with a Mediterranean twist? Our friends at Udi’s Gluten Free sent us some of their gluten free bagels to try and, naturally, we made bagel chips. Just because they’re more fun than just spreading some cream cheese on them. And because they’re delicious, super crunchy and make a perfect snack or appetizer.

Best part? No one will even notice they’re gluten free. These folks at Udi’s obviously know what they’re doing 🙂

Like this:

Our hearts go out to the families of the innocent victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. May their souls rest in peace.

“If I Could Be Where You Are” – Enya

“Where are you this moment?Only in my dreams.You’re missing, but you’re alwaysA heartbeat from me.I’m lost now without you,I don’t know where you are.I keep watching, I keep hoping,But time keeps us apartIs there a way I can find you,Is there a sign I should know,Is there a road I could followTo bring you back home?Winter lies before meNow you’re so far away.In the darkness of my dreamingThe light of you will stayIf I could be close beside youIf I could be where you areIf I could reach out and touch youAnd bring you back homeIs there a way I can find youIs there a sign I should knowIs there a road I can followTo bring you back home to me”

So… are you tired of eating, hearing about and reading about fried food yet?

Ok, we know Hanukkah is not over yet and we still have a few more days to go but… we’re ready to take a little break from the whole oil thing. Are you?

If you agree, you’ll probably love this recipe. To lighten things up a bit we’ve decided to “cheat” a little… In a good way.

How? Well, we’re taking our mom’s classic recipe for bulgur wheat patties (one of our favorite treats as kids which she usually fries) and we’re baking them instead. So the whole oil and frying theme is still there even though we’re not technically frying anything… Kind of like a recipe makeover. Get it?

Surprisingly, this lightened up version is even better than the original. And we’re not just saying that, even our mom agrees!

After all, that’s what makeovers are all about, aren’t they?

Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Vicky and Ruth

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients ( yields 8 medium or 16 small patties):

1 cup fine bulgur wheat

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp hot paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling

1/3 cup flour

TAHINI SAUCEPrep time: 5 minutesIngredients:

1/2 cup tahini paste

2 tbs lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbs water

1 tsp sriracha (or to taste)

In a large bowl, soak bulgur wheat in 1 cup of water for 20 minutes until the water has been absorbed.

With your hands squeeze any water left on the bulgur wheat.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Add the rest of the ingredients to bulgur wheat and mix until mell combined

Using your hands, form patties 8 medium or 16 small patties

Arrange patties on lined baking sheet. Drizzle each one lightly with olive oil and bake at 375F for 30 minutes, until golden brown

In the mean time, prepare the spicy tahini sauce. In a small bowl, mix tahini paste, salt with lemon juice with a spoon until it thickens. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until well incorporated (for thinner sauce, add more water, but remember thatsauce will thicken slightly when refrigerated). Add sriracha and refrigerate until ready to use